Home » Сricket » Steve Smith and David Warner will play a ‘huge part’ in Australia’s 2019 Ashes team after serving bans

Steve Smith and David Warner will play a ‘huge part’ in Australia’s 2019 Ashes team after serving bans

Australia captain Tim Paine is expecting to have Steve Smith and David Warner available for the 2019 Ashes series.

Former Australia captain Smith and his deputy, Warner, were given 12-month bans and handed restrictions on future leadership positions following the ball-tampering scandal.

The duo were part of a ‘leadership group’ that encouraged Cameron Bancroft to rub sandpaper on the ball during Australia’s Test series in South Africa.

Join Independent Minds

For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just£5.99€6.99$9.99
a month

Get the best of The Independent

With an Independent Minds subscription for just£5.99€6.99$9.99
a month

Get the best of The Independent

Without the ads – for just£5.99€6.99$9.99
a month

Smith and Warner are expected to return to Australia’s international side when their suspensions expire in March and the next Test series will be the Ashes in the summer.

“We know how good they are and hopefully once their bans are up they’ll be welcomed back and they will win Test matches like they did before,” said Paine, after Australia clinched a series victory against Sri Lanka, their first triumph since the 2017/18 Ashes.

2018 sport in quotes

1/23 “I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life. I’m absolutely gutted.”

2/23 “You are the liar. You owe me an apology. You stole a point from me. You’re a thief too.”

3/23 “It was like wrestling.”

4/23 “I am only missing Firmino saying he got a cold because a drop of my sweat landed on him,”

5/23 “It’s a bit of a hellhole…I’ve just done an interview and all I can smell is urine.”

6/23 “If somebody has done that they need to see a doctor. Seemingly he says it was me – but I would admit it.”

7/23 “It’s the most embarrassing thing I’ve done.”

8/23 “I always dreamed of holding this trophy when I was a young boy.”

9/23 “It’s coming home…”

10/23 “People were talking, English journalists, pundits from television. They underestimated Croatia tonight and that was a huge mistake.”

11/23 “At the moment we all feel the pain of the defeat. The dressing room is a very difficult place at the moment.”

12/23 “It’s going to go on a part that only (my girlfriend) Grace will see.”

13/23 “The issue’s obviously with Jordan (Spieth) not wanting to play with me.”

14/23 “I’ve won more titles alone than the rest of the managers in this league combined.”

15/23 “I just showed the world tonight, and everyone else suffering from mental health, that you can come back and it can be done.”

16/23 “It is like a cow that every day in 10 years, sees the train cross in front at the same time. If you ask the cow, ‘what time is the train going to come’, it is not going to know the right answer.”

17/23 “Give them all the help they need because clearly they cost us two points today. It’s a joke.”

18/23 “Do you know how to twerk?”

19/23 The support from the – Welsh, British flags and … it’s unreal. It’s the Tour de France. To ride around wearing this [yellow jersey] is a dream.”

20/23 “Tonight, I will leave this beautiful country, and I am looking forward to seeing my dogs, Roscoe and Coco, who live in LA. The unconditional love of a pet is something quite special.”

21/23 “To go out on your own terms, with your last ever innings for England a hundred. From a purely selfish point of view, I couldn’t have asked for a better week.”

22/23 “Have you ever taken those pills, the laxatives. I’m going to go through this man.”

23/23 “It’s quite raw at the moment, we’ve got to get back home and reflect on where we go as a side.”

1/23 “I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life. I’m absolutely gutted.”

2/23 “You are the liar. You owe me an apology. You stole a point from me. You’re a thief too.”

3/23 “It was like wrestling.”

4/23 “I am only missing Firmino saying he got a cold because a drop of my sweat landed on him,”

5/23 “It’s a bit of a hellhole…I’ve just done an interview and all I can smell is urine.”

6/23 “If somebody has done that they need to see a doctor. Seemingly he says it was me – but I would admit it.”

7/23 “It’s the most embarrassing thing I’ve done.”

8/23 “I always dreamed of holding this trophy when I was a young boy.”

9/23 “It’s coming home…”

10/23 “People were talking, English journalists, pundits from television. They underestimated Croatia tonight and that was a huge mistake.”

11/23 “At the moment we all feel the pain of the defeat. The dressing room is a very difficult place at the moment.”

12/23 “It’s going to go on a part that only (my girlfriend) Grace will see.”

13/23 “The issue’s obviously with Jordan (Spieth) not wanting to play with me.”

14/23 “I’ve won more titles alone than the rest of the managers in this league combined.”

15/23 “I just showed the world tonight, and everyone else suffering from mental health, that you can come back and it can be done.”

16/23 “It is like a cow that every day in 10 years, sees the train cross in front at the same time. If you ask the cow, ‘what time is the train going to come’, it is not going to know the right answer.”

17/23 “Give them all the help they need because clearly they cost us two points today. It’s a joke.”

18/23 “Do you know how to twerk?”

19/23 The support from the – Welsh, British flags and … it’s unreal. It’s the Tour de France. To ride around wearing this [yellow jersey] is a dream.”

20/23 “Tonight, I will leave this beautiful country, and I am looking forward to seeing my dogs, Roscoe and Coco, who live in LA. The unconditional love of a pet is something quite special.”

21/23 “To go out on your own terms, with your last ever innings for England a hundred. From a purely selfish point of view, I couldn’t have asked for a better week.”

22/23 “Have you ever taken those pills, the laxatives. I’m going to go through this man.”

23/23 “It’s quite raw at the moment, we’ve got to get back home and reflect on where we go as a side.”

“I think everyone to a degree has to earn their stripes. I think those two have got plenty of runs in the bank if you like.

“Look, I see us going to the Ashes and them having a huge part in us winning the series. That’s how I see how important they are to this team.

“What we have seen over this summer is we are starting to build a squad with plenty of depth. There’s probably anywhere between 16 and 25 players we think are now in the mix, which is a really good place to be,” Paine added.

“I’ve been dreaming about it actually. I’m happy now that we’ve got this (Sri Lanka series) out of the way and I can put everything into it because every Australian cricketer can’t wait to go and play an Ashes series, particularly in England.”

Much of Australia’s 2-0 home win is down to the return to form of Mitchell Starc. The second 10-wicket test haul of his career in Canberra against Sri Lanka was a harrowing reminder of the ease that he rattled through England’s top order as part of a formidable attack along with Pat Cummings and Josh Hazlewood.

Cummings, who took four wickets over Sri Lanka’s two innings, has risen to third in the Test bowling rankings, only topped by James Anderson and Kagiso Rabada, and his captain paid tribute to him after a year of injury disruptions.

“I felt as the summer went on, he actually got better and better,” Paine said.

“The more he bowled it felt like the quicker he was bowling and the more accurate he was bowling. He’s right up there.

“He bowls probably at times when the ball is not doing as much and the wicket’s a bit flatter. His ability to just get it done in all conditions, whether it’s moving around or not, is second to none.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news with expert comment and analysis from our award-winning writers